John Rietschlin’s Reflection and a Parish Update for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the reflection for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary time, John Rietschlin shares:

“Today’s gospel passage ends with Jesus saying to the scribe “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Would Jesus say that to me today? To each one of us here? This week, I invite each of us to take a few moments to reflect on that question. How are we living the two greatest commandments? How are we loving the Lord our God? How are we loving and respecting God’s creation? How are we loving our neighbor? Then, let us give thanks for the grace that we each receive to grow in love.”

See the full-text version of the reflection here: 20211031 -31st Sunday of Ordinary Time.

Liturgical Resources

Parish Update

All Saints’ and All Souls’ Masses at St. Joe’s

Father Jim will celebrate Mass on Monday, November 1st and on Tuesday, November 2nd at Noon. All are welcome. For more information, please see here. Our Book of Remembrance will also be on display for the month of November. Parishioners are invited to write the names of their loved ones and place them in a basket in the church. The Parish Front Office will record the submitted names in the Book of Remembrance.

The St. Joe’s Community Garden wraps up for the season

Thank you to the many volunteers, both from our parish and beyond, who cared for our St. Joe’s community garden during the spring, summer and fall months.  Although a winter rest is now upon us, the garden will return in the spring.

Thank you to Patricia Malikail for sharing this photo.

Calling people of faith, in solidarity with all of creation, to connect ‘with earth for earth’ in the urgency of this moment in earth history.

Please see prayer resources from our Parish for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) here

Crafts from the Holy Land available at St. Joe’s

On the weekend of November 13-14 after all Masses, St. Joseph’s Parish will welcome our special guest Sebastien Cardinal’s team representing the group “Handicraft Holy Land Christians.” This team of volunteers graciously requests your support through conscious prayers and will have many unique hand-carved olive wood religious art pieces made by families in Bethlehem available for purchase after every Mass. Proceeds of the sales generate much needed employment for our Christian brothers and sisters in Bethlehem. Cash, debit, credit cards and cheques will be accepted. May God Bless you for your generosity, for your help and for your prayers.

OMRA offers rental subsides to refugee families in Ottawa

OMRA continued to offer families rental subsidies throughout the pandemic. Right now we are subsidizing 29 families. Throughout 2021 we have supported 34 families.  This is because some families completed their subsidy and others began it.  OMRA committed $101,000 to families for rental subsidy in 2021.  It’s very difficult to find affordable housing in Ottawa.  Purchasing grocery cards enables us to continue to offer these subsidies.  Because rental costs have increased our average rental subsidy has also increased.

It’s time to order grocery cards for November.  If you place your order with St. Joe’s parishioner Donna Rietschlin by noon on Nov 1st, we hope to have the cards available for distribution before Nov 14th.  If you are thinking about giving gift cards as Christmas gifts, you might want to purchase them from OMRA.  It’s a gift that gives more than once.

OMRA sells grocery cards for Loblaws/Independent – $50 and $100, Metro/Food Basics – $50 and $100, Farm Boy – $50 and Shoppers Drug Mart – $50. Please return any fully used Farm Boy cards to me as OMRA receives $1.00 for every card returned and Farm Boy reissues them.  If you have requests for small denominations of grocery card, please contact me.  Last month several people asked for $25 cards from Metro and Loblaws. We can do special orders.

There are several ways to pay for your grocery cards.   

1) Post dated cheques   Cheques are dated for the first of the month and addressed to OMRA Shelter Corp. Record the grocery card denominations you need on the information bar. You can mail them to me, Donna Rietschlin, 512 Sherbourne Rd., Ottawa K2A 3G4 or give them to your me at your convenience.

2) E-transfer It’s easy to do. Send an etransfer to omrasheltercorp@gmail.com by the first through 3rd of each month. NO question is needed.  Be sure to let me know what cards you are ordering.  

If you have any friends, colleagues, neighbors or relatives who would like to participate, let me know and I can send them information. This grocery card program provides over $8000/month for rent subsidies for refugee families in Ottawa.

Donations to support OMRA’s work  

While we work on obtaining charitable status, you can still make donations to support OMRA’s work.

Address a cheque to Ottawa Mennonite Church and on the memo line, designate funds to OMRA Shelter Corp. The church address is 1830 Kilborn Ave., Ottawa, K1H 6N4. To use the e-transfer method, use the email donate@ottawamennonite.ca (No password is required. Make sure you put OMRA in the comments section.) Be sure to include your contact information to get a tax receipt at year end.

Vocation Reflection: “Love God, Neighbour, Self”
By Richard Beaudette, OMI – Vocation Team

“The greatest commandments, as spoken by Moses and Jesus focus on love: love of God, of self and of neighbour. But, what is this love? As expressed in Jesus’ teaching and ministry, we know that love is more than feelings and good intentions. Love involves relationships that are mutual, life-giving, that focus on justice and willing the good for the other. Love calls us to work toward self-knowledge, self-reflection and healing in our lives in order to engage respectfully with life, others and all of creation. It calls us to establish right relationship with God and with all that exists.”
Read the reflection here (published on Wednesday October 27): https://omilacombe.ca/become-an-oblate/

Employment Opportunity: Executive Director at Development & Peace

Development and Peace was established in 1967 by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. We are a democratic movement for international solidarity that supports partners in the Global South in the pursuit of alternatives to unjust social, political and economic structures. Reporting to the National Council and in close collaboration with the President of the board, the Executive Director (ED) embodies the values that are at the heart of the mission of the organization. The job posting is available on the Development & Peace website. See here.

Sunday offerings for October 24, 2021: $4,521

Thank you for your generosity!

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